


the call

by chanycerose



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M, SO MUCH FLUFF, Sehun is a Little Shit, So many tags, kris is annoyed, named after tiffany of snsd, oh god what have I done, okay maybe i put my cat in their story so what, side everyone else, taohun has a lot of sex, teeth-rotting fluff, they have a cat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-06
Updated: 2014-12-06
Packaged: 2018-02-26 09:00:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2646023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chanycerose/pseuds/chanycerose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>chanyeol comes across a note in his high school yearbook that he can't remember. at the bottom, is a phone number.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>or the one where chanyeol and baekhyun are oblivious idiots, and then desperately in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the call

**Author's Note:**

> so this was entirely different than i'd planned. it started off with the "i found this number from years ago let's see who picks up when i call" prompt and turned into a hell of a lot more. also used prompts for some of the scenes. this is just a big fluff party. seriously. teeth-rotting fluff, the whole time.

Oh my god why do I have so much useless shit in my closet? Chanyeol can't help but think.

His roommate, Sehun, has been nagging him about his stupid closet, even though Sehun doesn't even live in his room, but he's a neat freak. Like. Obsessively neat.

So. Chanyeol cleans it.

He's taking all the opened candy wrappers and dirty clothes that have been shoved in there over the past month when he finds his "special box". It's got all his meaningful things from high school in it.

It's not really much, but there's some stuff in there.

He pulls out his old yearbook, and blows the dust off of the front cover (it's only been a few years since he's been in high school, but he likes to be a bit dramatic sometimes, okay?). A small paper flutters out from between the pages that he doesn't remember ever putting there himself, so he reads it, a wrinkle forming in between his eyebrows as he reads the unfamiliar words.

"Hey! We never talked much but I've kind of maybe had a crush on you since the beginning of junior year. Hope you have a great summer, Chanyeol! Love, Mindy ♡"

And at the bottom, in Mindy's messy scrawl, a phone number.

-

"Just call the damned number, Chanyeol. It's really not that big a deal," Sehun says, a bit blunt, sipping his coffee in the seat across from Chanyeol. Apparently he's tired of Chanyeol's incessant complaining. All week.

"But okay, what if it doesn't work? Or worse, what if it does?" Chanyeol exclaims, his eyes (which are already too damn big for his head), widening. It's quite a frightening thing to see, but Sehun's used to it.

"Do you have the number saved in your phone?" Sehun asks, sighing and looking at him deadpan.

"Um, yes, why?" Chanyeol asks, already suspicious, eyeing Sehun's obviously-forced indifferent expression.

Sehun grabs Chanyeol's phone off of the table, and Chanyeol wants to make a scene, but he knows Sehun will kill him if he embarrasses him at this cafe again. How was Chanyeol supposed to know the barista was Sehun's ex-boyfriend?

Sehun puts the phone to his ear and Chanyeol makes an exasperated sound that's three parts a gasp and two parts a girlish scream.

Sehun's face immediately brightens, a sly smile finding it's way onto his face as he looks at Chanyeol. The bastard. "Hello?" he says, in an awfully cheerful voice for someone who's about to be murdered.

Chanyeol can hear a faint, "Um, who is this?" from the other line before Sehun speaks up again.

"Never mind that, do you happen to know a Mindy?" he asks, smirking at Chanyeol, and god Chanyeol's really gonna murder him. Really.

Chanyeol can't hear what the person on the other line says, and Sehun's face gives nothing away. Probably on purpose, the prat.

"Okay, thanks," he says, before hanging up and smiling at Chanyeol. It's really kind of alarming.

"So," Sehun starts. "That was not Mindy, but Byun Baekhyun."

Chanyeol's eyes once again widen. "Who's that?" he asks, eyebrows furrowing, and anger forgotten because Chanyeol's too easily distracted.

"Who cares? The real question is, if he's single, because you, my friend, are. Desperately single. Oh, and also if he's an axe murderer. That'd suck," Sehun says. And usually he teases Chanyeol about his romantic encounters, or lack thereof, but for now he's serious. Which. Chanyeol takes offense to that, thank you very much.

"What? I'm not desperate. I'm content, there's a difference, thank you," Chanyeol argues, a smug smile on his face. And he feels pretty triumphant but.

"Look, Chanyeol, going steady with your hand isn't contentment, it's pathetic. I'm only saying this because I love you, man."

Chanyeol gasps at that, once again, wide eyes going wider.

Sehun smirks and walks out, leaving Chanyeol in the cafe, regretting his choice in friends.

-

Chanyeol's sitting at the kitchen table, phone in hand as he stares at the screen. It's got Baekhyun's nunber put in, his finger hovering iver the call button. Sehun peeks at his phone, and presses down for Chanyeol, laughing and skittering off to his room.

 

Chanyeol's a bit panicked. He hurriedly brings the phone to his ear as it rings.

 

"Hello? Is this that weird guy that called and asked if I was Mindy? Cause if it is I'm hanging up," Baekhyun says as soon as he answers the phone, a small sense of alarm in his voice. He's probably got Chanyeol's number saved under "Creep", thanks to Sehun. Chanyeol's kind of shocked. And he thought Sehun was forward.

"No, no! I mean yes, this is the same number but not the same person, it was my friend," Chanyeol manages to choke out nervously, drawing little circles on the envelope to ease some of his nerves, to no avail.

"Okay, well um. Who is this?" Baekhyun asks, and he sounds quite skeptical.

"I'm um, Park Chanyeol?" he says, and he phrases it like a question.

"Um, okay. How did you find me?" he asks, like the fact that he now knows this weirdo's name helps at all, and Chanyeol really doesn't want to explain.

But he does.

"Well, um, you see, I have this box, right? And like, my high school yearbook was in there. And when I was cleaning my closet a note fell out. From some Mindy girl. And it had your number on it. I guess it was hers from back when we were in high school? So, uh, I called to see if it still worked. And it does. So, uh, here we are," Chanyeol manages to get out. He knows he's rambled, but he doesn't care. Old habits die hard, he guesses.

"I. Uh, wow. Well, I'm definitely not Mindy. Pretty sure I'm a guy and my name's Baekhyun. Unless my parent's have been lying to me all my life, but. Doubt that." Baekhyun says, and Chanyeol wants to laugh.

"I think I like you already, Byun Baekhyun."

-

They become friends. Fast.

It happened so easily. That first conversation turned into hundreds, and those turned into constant texts, and those turned to nightly skypes.

They don't actually meet, though they don't live very far.

Sehun teases Chanyeol incessantly about this of course. Small digs here and there, until one night at their apartment, Sehun once again is fed up with Chanyeol's complaining.

"God, Chanyeol, why don't you just ask him out already. Or at least meet him," Sehun nags, and they've been through this already.

"I will when you get a boyfriend," Chanyeol bites back, snickering.

Sehun just gives him a knowing smirk.

-

It's really no surprise when Chanyeol realizes he may have a small teensy weensy crush on Baekhyun.

Tiny. Microscopic. Really, it's nothing.

Ha.

It kind of makes him panic. A lot.

He avoids Baekhyun for two weeks before Baekhyun shows up at his and Sehun's apartment.

When Chanyeol hears the knocks on his door, he pauses his episode on Netflix, angrily stomping over to the door. No one interrupts Pretty Little Liars. Ever.

But when he opens the door his anger fades to every emotion at once.

Shock. What the hell is he doing here? Happiness. Holy shit he's here. Sadness. God he's more beautiful in person. And then fear.

"How do you know where I live?" he asks, closing the door almost all the way. Even though he's positive Baek isn't a murderer.

"Um. I asked your roommate where you live... Is this a problem? Cause I could just go home and forget about this whole thing. Actually, I think I will," Baekhyun says, and he starts to turn but Chanyeol's already dragged him inside.

-

Baekhyun is the perfect Netflix partner, Chanyeol decides.

He laughs when Chanyeol gets scared, and then gets into the story himself. Soon enough, Chanyeol's got him addicted.

It's 2am, and they've finished the second season (Chanyeol had to pause the second episode to explain the first season), when Baekhyun remembers why he came.

"So. You've been avoiding me," he says, and Chanyeol hopes he isn't imagining the hurt in his voice.

Chanyeol has to debate whether or not to tell him the truth.

"Well, um. Kind of. Maybe? Yes," he says, sighing at the end. Part of the truth can work well enough for now.

"Well, why? I really like you, Chanyeol," he starts. But then he adds, "You're a really great friend."

And Chanyeol's heart possibly shatters at that moment. He never even believed in the friend zone. But it crushes him.

"Ah, yeah, see. Well. My, um, dog died, so. Yeah. Kinda needed some space there. So we're good," he says, cringing. He's never even had a dog.

Baekhyun looks skeptical, but he nods. "Well, uh. See you some other time I guess. Or I'll text you or something."

And then he's gone, and Chanyeol groans.

-

"Seriously. Your dog died. Chanyeol, I've known you for your entire life and you've never even had a dog," Sehun says, and Chanyeol groans for the millionth time since Baekhyun came to his apartment.

He groans a lot, actually. Whenever Baekhyun says something that platonic friends don't usually say to each other, or it seems like he's flirting, Chanyeol groans.

He should probably get out of that habit.

"I panicked, okay? He said I was a great friend. Friend, Sehun," Chanyeol whines, and then the door to the cafe opens.

And in comes Baekhyun.

"Oh my god Sehun, that's him," Chanyeol hisses, and Sehun immediately turns to look at him.

"Huh. He looks like, 15. Didn't know you were into that, Chanyeol," he says, earning a slap on the back of the head.

His yelp gets Baekhyun's attention, and Chanyeol's sure he did it on purpose. Brat.

"Chanyeol!" He says, walking over to their table and his whole face lights up.

"Hey, Baek," he says, forcing himself to calm down even though his heart is racing.

Baekhyun's face falls as soon as he sees Sehun, and Chanyeol's really confused.

"Oh. I, uh, didn't realize you were on a date," he says, looking anywhere but at Chanyeol.

Sehun all but spits out his drink, and Chanyeol actually laughs.

Now it's Baekhyun's turn to be confused.

"Not on a date. God, definitely, not on a date," Sehun says, and he looks appalled. "Actually, I'm just gonna go. Good luck with all that, Chanyeol."

Baekhyun watches Sehun leave and he looks pleased.

Chanyeol is once again confused.

"Good luck with what?" Baekhyun asks, and he turns his head a little to the right as he does.

Chanyeol thinks it's really quite cute.

"Uh, dating stuff," Chanyeol says, and Baekhyun immediately schools his expression into a blank stare.

"Oh. Hey well, it was nice seeing you," and that's the end of that.

-

"No, there's absolutely no way that he likes me," Chanyeol says. He refuses to consider it. If Baekhyun doesn't like him, and he asks, or confesses himself, it would ruin their friendship.

"Chanyeol. I know guys, and he definitely likes you," Sehun says, and he wears a smug smirk as he does. Sehun is a big fan of the term "casual sex". He calls it his religion. Or so Chanyeol thought.

"I'm just scared of what'll happen if I confess," Chanyeol says, and he runs his hands through his hair, tugging at the ends.

"Look, Chanyeol, all you've got to do is ask him on a date. 'Hey, Baek, wanna go to the movies?' That's it. It's not very hard," Sehun says, and Chanyeol considers it.

-

Baekhyun picks up on the second ring.

"Hey, Chanyeol!" he says, sounding as cheery as usual, much different from his closed off side that Chanyeol got during their awkward cafe meeting.

"Hey, Baek. So, um. I was wondering if you, uh, maybe wanted to go see a movie? And maybe get dinner after?" He asks, and his heart is racing.

Baekhyun's taking too long to answer, and he's regretting it so bad.

He's getting ready to take it back when,

"Like... a date?" Baekhyun asks, and okay, Chanyeol really regrets it.

"Um. Yes?" he says, and it sounds like a question. Chanyeol cringes.

Baekhyun takes a deep breath before answering, "I... would love to go on a date with you, Chanyeol."

Chanyeol swears his heart stops and then races again.

"Cool. That's great. Cool," he breathes. "Um, I'll pick you up tomorrow at 7?"

"I'll be ready," Baekhyun says, and Chanyeol can hear the smile behind his words.

"Bye, Baek," he says, and hangs up his phone.

-

"Oh my god, Sehun, I can't do it. What if he said yes as a joke? What if he stands me up? Oh my god I can't dooo thiiisss," Chanyeol whines, and Sehun is infinitely annoyed by his incessant complaints.

"Chanyeol, I love you man but please. Shut. Up," he says, and leaves Chanyeol dumbfounded in their living room.

Sehun comes back.

"Chanyeol," he says, and he looks amused.

"Um, yes?" Chanyeol asks, once again, confused.

"You're picking him up in," he checks his watch, "10 minutes. I don't think it's him that's standing you up."

Chanyeol's out the door in 3 seconds flat.

-

Baekhyun's waiting outside his own apartment when Chanyeol arrives, and he lets out a breath of relief.

"Oh god, I thought you'd stood me up," he says, and he looks really really glad that Chanyeol didn't.

"I'm so sorry, I just kinda freaked out because nervous and then Sehun reminded me of the time, and hey you look really good tonight. I mean, not that you don't look good any other time, cause you look good all the time and-" Chanyeol's ramblings are stopped by a pair of lips on his cheek.

He instantly blushes, and Baekhyun's got a smug look on his face.

Baekhyun intertwines their fingers and Chanyeol stares at them. Then at Baekhyun.

He swoops down, giving Baekhyun a kiss on the cheek, and they're on their way.

-

"Okay so that was amazing," Chanyeol says as soon as they're out of the theater. Baekhyun hasn't stopped touching him ever since he held his hand, like he can't get enough of him.

"Wow, I never pegged you as a Marvel type of guy," Baekhyun says, looking up at Chanyeol.

"What? Iron Man is actually my life," he says with a laugh, and Baekhyun thinks he wants to make Chanyeol laugh even more than he already does.

-

Chanyeol didn't think he could fall so fast. Or so easily.

He's afraid. He's never just, fit, so easily with one person like he has with Baek.

He wonders whether Baekhyun feels the same.

It's only been a month and he's already so in love with him.

-

"Chanyeol, please just tell him. I'm so tired of your god damn whining," Sehun groans, and Tao sits next to him, smirking.

Oh, but you can complain about loving Tao all the time, Chanyeol thinks.

"I'll tell Baekhyun when you tell yours," Chanyeol says with a smug grin.

"Okay," Sehun says and turns around to kiss Tao right on the mouth. "So I kind of love you."

Chanyeol's mouth drops open and Tao laughs.

"I love you, too, babe," he says, and Chanyeol's so confused.

"What? Since when are you and Tao, a thing?" Chanyeol manages to choke out.

"'Bout the same time you met Baekhyun," Sehun says, and Chanyeol wonders why he didn't even realize it.

-

Chanyeol's hesitant as he knocks on his boyfriend's door, and when Baek opens it, he's still half asleep. His hair's a mess, and he's got a pair of Chanyeol's too big sweats on and no shirt.

Chanyeol decides that he definitely has to tell him.

Baekhyun brightens immediately.

"Hi, babe," he says with a soft smile. "Come in, come in."

Chanyeol goes in and plops himself on Baek's couch.

"Hi, Baek," he says, giving Baekhyun his biggest smile.

"What's got you all happy?" Baekhyun says, sitting right on Chanyeol.

Chanyeol looks straight into his eyes when he says, "You."

Baekhyun's never blushed so hard.

"I actually, um, needed to tell you something that's been bothering me for weeks," Chanyeol says, and Baekhyun knows he shouldn't be worried, especially with the cheesy thing Chanyeol just said, but he is.

He pulls away from Chanyeol, and hesitantly asks, "What is it?"

Chanyeol furrows his eyebrows in confusion, and pulls Baekhyun back to him.

"Baekhyun, I'm not breaking up with you," he says, and he feels a twinge in his heart even thinking about it.

Baekhyun sighs in relief and cuddles closer to him.

"Then what is it?" Baekhyun asks, and Chanyeol takes a deep shaky breath.

"Um. I, uh. I love you, Baekhyun," he finally gets out and shuts his eyes.

He counts to one. And two. And three. All the way to a hundred before he feels a pair of lips hesitant against his.

He opens his eyes, and Baekhyun's crying as he kisses him.

He pulls back, "Baek, what's wrong?"

He's kind of panicking.

It takes a few moments for Baek to reply.

"Everyone that loves me leaves, and, I just. I can't have you leave, Chanyeol. You mean so much to me," he manages to get out, pulling Chanyeol closer.

"Baekhyun, I can't even," he starts, and he's choked up himself. He can't bare seeing his Baek hurt. "I can't even imagine leaving you. It hurts too much to even think about. I love you so much."

"I love you too, giant," he says, and he cuddles even closer. "So much more than you know. Can we please go to sleep?"

Chanyeol smiles and they make their way to Baekhyun's room.

-

Two weeks later, Chanyeol decides that Baekhyun needs to meet his friends. He quickly learns that Baekhyun has no really close friends. It seems like he knows everyone because he's so friendly but he has no one that he can share the bad parts of his life with besides Chanyeol.

"Chanyeol, that's nine people. Jesus, how did you even get that many people in one group of friends?" Baekhyun asks, and Chanyeol smiles down at him.

"Everyone started dating someone. Up until I met you it was just me, Sehun, and Jongin that didn't have anyone. Now poor Jongin's the only one," Chanyeol says.

And Baekhyun really likes the idea of being Chanyeol's "someone".

-

Since they're having their little gathering at Chanyeol and Sehun's apartment, Baekhyun meets Sehun and Tao first.

Chanyeol opens the door, and they both hear the shower running.

Chanyeol bangs on the wall and demands that they both get out because he doesn't want his boyfriend present for his friends having sex.

They're met with Sehun's shout of fuck off and something that sounds an awful lot like a muffled moan.

So Chanyeol gives Baekhyun a tour.

"This is the kitchen, living room, Sehun's bathroom which we won't go in until he bleaches it completely, his room, and my room," he says, as he points each room out, and earns a soft chuckle from Baek.

He pushes open the door to his room, and Baekhyun lays on his bed.

"Making yourself comfortable already, huh?" Chanyeol asks, and he smiles fondly at his Baek.

"Well it's only fair. I have all of your damn hats at my apartment, so maybe I should start leaving stuff here too," he says, smirking.

Chanyeol throws a sweater at him, and Baekhyun tells him he's keeping it as he pulls it over his head.

-

About an hour later, everyone else arrives at the same time.

Baek's a little overwhelmed. But overall, he likes everyone.

At first, he thinks the tall one named Kris hates him, but Chanyeol reassures him that it's just his face.

He tries to remember everyone's names.

Kris is the mad one, Lay is his boyfriend that always looks high, Junmyeon is the one who has an aura of responsibility, Jongdae is his boyfriend that laughs almost as much as Chanyeol. Sehun and Tao are the ones that seem to never stop making out. Jongin's the one who stares at everyone with a fond yet disgusted look on his face. Baekhyun finds it amusing. Finally there's Luhan and Xiumin, who seem to be very in love. It scares Baekhyun thinking of himself and Chanyeol, but comforts him at the same time.

After he's finally got everyone's names down, the pizza arrives, and everyone sits on Chanyeol's floor, eating and watching a movie.

Well, half watching the movie.

They pause it every 10 minutes when Tao asks Sehun a question about the movie, and at first it was funny when Jongin groaned at all the lovey scenes, but quickly annoyed everyone else, causing Jongdae to throw pop corn at him.

Once the movies over, Junmyeon tries to get everyone to clean up, to no avail.

Everyone leaves and Baekhyun really likes them all. He knows they'll become good friends and that he finally fits in somewhere.

 

-

 

So Chanyeol's become obsessed with sending people funny pictures he finds on the internet.

 

Baekhyun finds it extremely cute, of course, but no one else really does.

 

from: wufan

to: baek

baekhyun tell your idiot fucking boyfriend i'm at work i swear to god i'm gonna punch him in the dick

 

from: the hun

to: baby face

dude your boyfriend is interrupting tao and i can you tell him to fUCKING STOP

 

Baekhyun's maybe a bit amused.

 

from: jongin

to: yeol

dude i just bumped into this hot ass guy because you sent me that picture and i wasn't paying attention i'm goin in for the kill, wish me luck xox

 

-

 

They've only been together for 6 months when Chanyeol asks Baekhyun to move in with him.

 

"Babe, sorry, but I don't want to live with Sehun and Tao. I'm not sure I can handle hearing that much sex every night. How can they even go at it that much?" Baekhyun asks, a disgusted look on his face and Chanyeol laughs.

 

"Sehun's moving to Tao's place, and I figured that my place is bigger than yours, so, might as well?" Chanyeol asks, a hopeful tilt to his voice at the end.

 

Baekhyun wraps his arms around his boyfriend and smiles at him.

 

"Well, in that case, I'd love to move in with you."

 

-

 

Chanyeol's a bit amused at how Jongin's acting.

 

"I thought you didn't do relationships and love, kid," Chanyeol says, smirking at him.

 

"I don't," Jongin replies, a deadpan look on his face. "That's why I'm so worried! Kyungsoo's really important to me, and I'm not used to that. I don't do romance and all that hearts and flowers shit."

 

Chanyeol gets serious really fast.

 

"Jongin, I know you. You really are into all that romance, and the hearts and flowers shit. You think anybody believed that act you were pulling? 'I hate love so much I'm gonna sleep with like 20 people a night', yeah, nobody believed that. So just drop the act, because it makes you unhappy," Chanyeol says, rubbing circles into Jongin's back as he does.

 

Jongin smiles up at him.

 

"You're an asshole, but only because you tell the truth."

 

"Yeah, well, I try."

 

-

 

Chanyeol's foot really, really, hurts.

 

"Baby I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to drop the couch on your foot, I just couldn't carry it anymore and your foot was underneath, and I didn't see it and-" Baekhyun begins, but is cut off by Chanyeol's lips on his.

 

Chanyeol laughs at his boyfriend, and then smiles fondly at him.

 

"My foot is fine. It hurts like a bitch, but it's not broken. We can just get Jongin to come finish up for us," he says, and reaches for his phone to text Jongin.

 

-

 

Chanyeol hears the door slam, and Baekhyun's bounding through the door, stopping to kiss Chanyeol on the cheek.

 

"Hey, could you try this?" Chanyeol asks, and Baekhyun eyes what's in the pan suspiciously.

 

"Relax, babe, I got the recipe from a cook book," he says, and points to a cook book lying open on the counter next to the stove.

 

Baekhyun stares at the pan a little more before making a face and nodding his head.

 

Chanyeol grins wide, pushing the spoon towards Baek's mouth and telling him to "Open wide!"

 

Baekhyun chews. And chews. Swallows. And grimaces.

 

"Um, Chanyeol, did that recipe say sugar, or salt?" Baekhyun asks, and shudders.

 

Chanyeol's eyes go wide, and he dips his fingers into the jar he thought was salt. Picking up some of the white grains and putting them into his mouth, he realizes he put two teaspoons of sugar instead of salt.

 

"Oops?" is all he offers.

 

-

 

"Chanyeol, I seriously think the new neighbors are murderers," Baekhyun says, and Chanyeol snorts, until he realizes Baek is actually serious.

 

"Baekhyun, you can't be serious," Chanyeol deadpans, an incredulous look on his face.

 

"I'm telling you, Chanyeol, I really think they're murderers. You always hear about murders, but you're like 'Oh the one next door to me can't be one!' and next thing you know you're getting your head chopped off by said neighbor," Baekhyun says, and Chanyeol kinda just. Stares at him.

 

"I'm callin' it now, Chanyeol. Murderers," he says, and points at him.

 

(They weren't murderers. But they did rob a bank.)

 

-

 

"Chanyeol, no. We are not keeping him. Her, it, whatever. We can't," Baekhyun says. He's got the sound of finality in his voice, but.

 

Chanyeol is persistent.

 

"But look how cute she is! Come on, how could you say no to this face?" Chanyeol asks, smiling hugely and putting the kitten's face next to his.

 

"Who's yours or her- No!" Baekhyun exclaims. "Where did you even find her?"

 

"She climbed up onto the window ledge and I saw her. She has no collar, and I don't see a reason why we can't keep her!" Chanyeol says, pleading look on his face.

 

Baekhyun considers a bit. And it has nothing to do with how cute Chanyeol looks. Really. 

 

Baekhyun sighs, and Chanyeol jumps up and down.

 

"Yes, yes, yes! Oh my god Tiffany I knew he'd say yes! Oh, we're gonna..." Chanyeol begins, but trails off as he walks into the hallway, softly petting her.

 

Baekhyun smiles softly, and then it dawns on him.

 

"IF YOU NAMED HER AFTER TIFFANY FROM GIRL'S GENERATION I'M GONNA PUNCH YOU."

 

-

 

from: wufan

to: byunbaek

tell your boyfriend to stop sending me pictures of your cat jesus christ why are we even friends

 

-

 

Chanyeol and Baekhyun's first Christmas season together doesn't start off very smooth.

 

They get into a fight two weeks before Christmas, on the day they planned to put up decorations.

 

They still do, because none of them will apologize to the other, and they can't just not put up the decorations

 

The air around them is awkward and tension-filled. Chanyeol grabs the bag with the ornaments for their tree, and he sighs.

 

They put on the lights and tinfoil in silence. The ornaments go up without a peep.

 

It's the star that goes on top that presents a problem.

 

When Baekhyun imagined this in his mind, he expected them to put it up together, have a nice romantic dinner, and maybe watch a movie after. Not this.

 

So he snatches the star from the bag, and Chanyeol gasps.

 

"I get to put the star on the tree!" he says, and he looks incredulous.

 

Baekhyun looks at him funny, and continues to try and reach the top.

 

Chanyeol tries to grab it from him, and they start wrestling for it; a tangled mess of lanky limbs and short ones.

 

Eventually, Baekhyun starts laughing. Chanyeol stares at him, puzzled, and then Tiffany's meowing at them from underneath the tree. So. They're both laughing. The good, my-stomach-hurts-and-I-can't-breath-I'm-so-happy kind of laugh, and it's all kinds of wonderful. Chanyeol wonders how he ever got so lucky. Baekhyun's peppering kisses all over his face and his jaw, and Tiffany's still meowing at them.

 

They've both never been so happy.

 

-

 

"Let's have a war," Chanyeol says, and he's smiling giddily (and a tad bit creepily) at Baek.

 

"Um, okay. What kind?" Baekhyun asks a bit skeptical.

 

Chanyeol takes out two plastic guns from under the table, and two bags of marshmallows.

 

Baekhyun just smiles.

 

-

 

Chanyeol's been very quiet. He's been trying extra hard. It's a bit difficult when you're six feet tall. Throw in clumsy and a teensy bit uncoordinated and he really isn't made for marshmallow gun wars. But.

 

He realizes Baekhyun is no longer where Chanyeol previously thought he was, and Chanyeol's now facing a corner. Damn.

 

He doesn't wanna turn around, and when he does, he's met with a "Boo!" and a marshmallow shot in the face. Chanyeol sends his last marshmallow flying and it misses. Damn.

 

Baekhyun grins, because he's only got one marshmallow left, so he won.

 

Chanyeol pouts, so Baekhyun shoves the marshmallow in his mouth.

 

"Before you say how I 'cheated', let's put these to good use, yeah?" Baekhyun asks, and Chanyeol wants to know what he means.

 

-

 

What he means, is that one person shoots a marshmallow into the air, and the other catches it.

 

It's entertaining until Tiffany gets scared of the marshmallows and they both have scratches on their faces.

 

Then it's just painful.

 

And Chanyeol wonders how he got so lucky.

 

-

 

Three months later, on their one year anniversary, they stay home.

 

Neither of them see a point in going anywhere, when they would probably just have a good time at home anyways.

 

They eat a nice dinner (made by Baek) by candle light, and watch a movie (picked by Chanyeol).

 

Then they just cuddle on their couch, talking.

 

"I can't believe it's been a year, Yeol," Baekhyun says, and he's smiling up at Chanyeol with a look filled with so much love that it almost chokes Chanyeol.

 

"It's been the best year of my life, Baek, and I love you so much," he manages to get out.

 

"Imagine if you'd never seen that note," Baek says, eyes wide.

 

"Imagine if that girl hadn't ever written it," Chanyeol says, and he forgot that she was the one that really led Chanyeol to Baekhyun.

 

"We kind of owe Sehun, cause he was the one who called me," Baekhyun says, smiling his Chanyeol smile.

 

"He was also the one that made me clean my room, to where I found that note," Chanyeol says, smiling his big smile where a tiny bit of his tongue pokes out between his teeth. Baek loves him. So much. "Maybe we owe him for a lot."

 

-

 

When Chanyeol and Bekhyun both finally move into a brand new apartment, the first thing they do is go ice skating. On their new hardwood floors. With socks.

 

As soon as the last bag is placed in their new bedroom, Bekhyun giggles as he puts on some socks. Chanyeol looks at him, raising an eyebrow. Baekhyun gets a running start and slides over to him, grinning widely.

Chanyeol stares at him for a second, a blank expression on his face, before he can't contain the laugh that escapes his lips.

Baekhyun pouts and run/slides off to what Chanyeol assumes is go explore their apartment again.

He puts on some socks himself and goes in search of him.

He slides over to the kitchen, giggling softly to himself when Baekhyun jumps out from behind the counter, scaring the crap out of Chanyeol and almost giving him a heart attack.

Chanyeol falls over and lands flat on his back, long legs and clumsiness really don't go well together.

He scrambles up to tickle Baekhyun, leaving Baekhyun a squirmish giggling mess on the floor.

Apparently an idea pops into Baekhyun's head, because he says "Stay here, gimme a sec," and scrambles off into their bedroom.

Chanyeol gets up and waits for his boyfriend.

He heard the sound of their "dance" playlist coming from the bedroom, and Baekhyun comes out, wiggling his hips in a way that should never be done. It's awkward and messy looking, but. Chanyeol thinks he's cute all the same.

Baekhyun slides over to him, and then they're sliding across the dining room, kitchen, and living room, laughing.

After a few songs and two games of tag (mixed in with a lot of falling) they fall onto each other.

Chanyeol fell on top of Baekhyun, and they're both laughing again, giddy with new apartment excitement and love. Chanyeol smiles down at his boyfriend, and Baekhyun comments on Chanyeol maybe shrinking for fuck's sake, you're so tall, before Chanyeol's pressing fluttering kisses all over Baekhyun's face before he leaves a long lingering one on his lips.

"I love you, giant."

-

Baekhyun gets hot way too easily, so he always has their apartment cold. Freezing. Arctic.

Every night, Chanyeol falls asleep wrapped up in blankets and Baekhyun, and every night, around 1am he wakes up shivering. Baek's burritoed in the blankets at the far end of the bed.

A few nights of this and Chanyeol's moved on to the couch.

Baekhyun wakes up one morning, sweating and without his boyfriend by his side.

A feeling of dread settles low in his tummy, and his head feels hot. He gets out of bed slowly, and makes his way out to ther living room, worried.

Relief washes over him when he sees Chanyeol all bundled up in a sweater, scarf, mittens, sweats, and fuzzy socks, asleep on the couch.

He laughs a bit, and lays on Chanyeol.

Chanyeol wakes up with a groan, and sees Baekhyun smiling down at him.

"Well hello there, handsome," he says, voice still rough from sleep, and cranes his neck to leave a wet, sloppy kiss on Baek's cheek.

"Gross," Baekhyun says, crinkling his nose. "Why'd you sleep out here?"

"I was so cold, and our bed's right underneath the vent. That's like, the fourth night I woke up freezing, so I just came out here. Can't you just get a fan for yourself?" Chanyeol asks, groaning again and throwing an arm over his eyes.

"But I don't want a fan," Baekhyun says, and pouts a little.

Chanyeol just sighs.

(They get the fan.)

-

Baek feels a bit creepy.

He woke up at 3am, Chanyeol asleep next to him, and now he can't fall asleep again.

So. He watches Chanyeol.

Not, like, creepily. Baek's not a creep. Plus, they've been together a year, Baekhyun knows he's not being creepy. Or, at least he hopes.

He watches the rise and fall of his chest, slow, long and deep breaths. He watches how his eyelids flutter a bit every few minutes, and how his hands twitch at the same time.

He notices how Chanyeol can just reach out and wrap his arms around Baek when he's not even conscious. He smiles, and has no trouble falling asleep again that night.

-

It's at their next Christmas together when it happens, and it's the greatest moment of Baekhyun and Chanyeol's lives.

Took Chanyeol about a month to finally work up the courage to it, but he knew that there were two paths their relationship could take, and he nearly choked with the indescribable grief it caused him to even think about one of them.

So. He does it.

He's sitting on the floor next to the couch, and he's got his high school yearbook open when Baekhyun comes in.

Baek furrows his eyebrows, and goes to sit next to his boyfriend. "Haven't seen this thing in a long time." He comments.

Chanyeol just smiles at him. "Come on, let's look at it together."

They go through the book together, page after page, brushes of knuckles and then linked hands and soft chuckles whenever they come across a funny picture of Chanyeol, or really anyone.

Once they get to the part where you sign it, Chanyeol gets fidgety and nervous. Baekhyun notices, but doesn't comment, the crease between his eyebrows getting deeper with worry.

Finally, heart racing and palms sweaty, Chanyeol turns the page and looks at Baekhyun expectant, but hopeful.

Baekhyun wonders why, until he finally sees the words in Chanyeol's messy scrawl written under a number, and a girl's name, Mindy, and he's overjoyed; ecstatic; and his heart swells with so much love for this man that the tears come out in endless waves and he laughs, and replies to the words with a shaky, "Yes, god, yes."

-

"I love you so much, Baekhyun. This is what started it all. Will you marry me?"

**Author's Note:**

> thanks to alexis for forcing me to finish, as always. and the ending was her idea. bless ur heart.


End file.
